It's Not Wrong
by Alima8314
Summary: Crackfic. AU. Character death. Roy is a politician, and wants to adopt a child. He goes to an orphanage with his lover, and discovers Edward Elric, a teen who has spent much of his teenage life in foster care. RoyArmstrong, RoyEd, EdArmstrong, EdWin
1. Chapter 1

**- It's Not Wrong -  
- An FMA Crackfic -**

**Disclaimer (applies to all chapters):** I thought long and hard about it, and I decided that I don't really want to own FMA. That would be too much work, and I'm lazy. I don't make any money from anything I write. In fact, I often lose money because I have to buy research material. Research material being the manga, the anime, and my internet connection. I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, nor am I affiliated in any way with the copyright owners of Fullmetal Alchemist. Fullmetal Alchemist's story and characters are copyrighted to Hiromu Arakawa and the various companies who produced the manga, anime and merchandise.

**A/N:** There is a bit of gay bashing in this fic, but there is a reason for it. I only needed Edward to be the way he is for plot purposes. I, personally, am not against homosexuality. Please, don't flame me for 'being a homophobe,' or because of my chosen couples, you will be laughed at. This story is set in pseudo-twentieth century Amestris. Yaoi. (Homophobes, stay away!) Crackfic. OOC warning. Alternate Reality-ish. Character deaths. No alchemy. Lemons, both yaoi and het. Blah, I've never done anything concerning adoption, so I'm making the orphanage seem like a live-in day-care. I'm basing this off the experience I've had with the various homeless shelters my mother and I flitted between during my prepubescent years. I fell in love with these pairings as I wrote this story. (Well, I've always liked Ed/Roy...) I like Armstrong's character, and I think he deserves someone (so, I gave him the two hottest guys in the FMA universe!). I had to really read between all the lines in order to write this.

**Pairing(s) (Lemons/Limes):** Roy/Armstrong (current), Roy/Ed (future), Ed/Armstrong (future), Ed/Roy/Armstrong (future), Ed/Winry (brief)

**Special Thanks To:**

My Job, for being so boring and slow that I have the time to write this little tale.

xfacexthisx (read her stories!), for being a sounding board and helping me with the adoption process information. I would also like to thank her for helping Edward have a temper tantrum and helping me with ideas when I get stuck.

Songfic Misstress (read her stories!), for helping me with the title, and allowing me to steal Trisha's death from her.

kurahieiritrJIO (read her stories!), for being another sounding board, and looking over this for me whenever she has a free moment. She also inspired the Ed/Armstrong coupling. She had read my FMA manga at my behest, and decided that Armstrong has some sort of feeling for Ed, but she hasn't decided whether it's a brotherly love or something else. I would also like to thank her for RPing the interview between Roy and Mr. Thatcher in Chapter 2.

Dragobat, for helping me with the floor plans.

Becky, for helping me with the Edward/Winry lemon.

D, for helping me with the Edward/Winry lemon.

I love you all!

Yikes, I think my A/N is longer than my story!

* * *

Two men paused as they approached the homely wooden door. The two men were vastly contrasted, one being large and muscular, and the other, while having a rather healthy build himself, looked almost petite next to his friend. The smaller man had shaggy black hair and eyes so dark, they looked black.

The large man would have been blond, which was evidenced by the bushy mustache above a full mouth, but except for a short lock of hair above his brow, he was bald. He was also extremely muscular, a testament to the vigorous physical training the man had undergone on a daily basis for most of his life. His sparkling blue eyes looked small on his face, but they missed little.

Roy Mustang and Alex Louis Armstrong stepped up to the doors of the adoption agency, nervousness rolling off them in waves.

"Roy, are you sure you want to do this? This is a very big commitment," the larger man, Armstrong, asked.

Roy looked up at his companion. "Yeah, I thought a long time about this. I really want to do this."

"Well, if you're sure," Alex raised a hand in preparation to cup his companion's face, forgetting for a moment that they were in public. He curled his fingers after a second, and looking around to see if anyone had spotted his gesture, quickly shifted his arm to grab the door's handle, pulling it open for Roy to enter. "Ahhh... After you, Roy."

"Thank you," the dark-haired man dipped his head and smiled, stepping over the threshold. As he entered the large main room, the sight of many children of all ages playing greeted his eyes. His eyes swept the room, looking for an agency employee. During his scan, he noticed a petit blond teen sitting on the floor alone in a corner with his nose stuck in a book, trying his best to tune out the goings on around him.

There was something about the blond youth that demanded Roy's attention. It was like the boy called to him somehow. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Armstrong motion for him from the counter. Sighing, he left his post and made his way over to the large man, making a mental note to ask about the lonely blond.

"I'm afraid he's simply not up for adoption as some kind of publicity stunt, sir," the red-haired social worker spat after listening to Roy's request. "Also, you can't just pick a child. There are many things you have to do to adopt someone. One of the things we do is a background check. We have to be sure you're not someone who would cause harm of any kind to a child."

"It's not for publicity, as you so kindly put it," Roy's onyx eyes flicked down to the man's name tag. "Andrew. This isn't about politics. I just..." the man shook black bangs from his eyes. "I wanted to share my life with someone."

"That's a laugh. Everyone calls you 'The Flame.' I wonder about the true history of that little nickname."

Roy quirked an eyebrow in annoyance. "Excuse me?"

Andrew smirked. "Well, everyone knows about you and your..." the young man cleared his throat. "Assistant." His gaze darted over to the large muscular man who was currently entertaining some of the children in the common room.

"Despite what you may have read in some tabloid, Mr. Armstrong is a close friend of mine," The dark-haired man answered calmly. He was used to people making assumptions about the relationship he shared with the large man, but would never let anyone outside his close circle of friends know the truth. Very few people knew that Roy Mustang and Alex Louis Armstrong were involved in a romantic relationship, and had been for a few years. "As well as my business associate."

The redhead blanched, clearing his throat nervously. "Nevertheless, just wanting to adopt a child is not a very good reason to do so. Why that boy, anyway? Most people want to adopt younger children."

"I wanted to give someone a shot at a good life. Being shuffled between homes every thirty days or so can't be very healthy."

"So, why not adopt someone younger, someone less... used to an unstable environment? Besides, this isn't a pet store, you can't just choose which child you want to take home like you would a puppy or kitten."

Roy scowled. "I... My lifestyle isn't suited for anyone under the age of ten. I also want someone who's old enough to help take care of themselves..."

The social worker scoffed. "Don't you mean sixteen?" he asked, daring the politician standing before him to make a remark regarding the state's age of consent and the slight against his sexuality. "That is the age of the boy you seem to be interested in, you know. I saw you watching him. He is rather cute, huh?" He leered at Roy.

Roy took a deep breath and let it out slowly, mentally counting to ten. "I would like to speak to your supervisor, please," he bit out in as controlled a voice as he could muster. He smirked as Andrew froze, eyes wide with something akin to fear.

"Uhhh... Yes sir," Andrew stammered, reaching over to pick up the headset of his phone and punching a few numbers.

While waiting, Roy took in more of his surroundings. Glancing here and there, he stood watching a couple of boys, who couldn't have been older than six each, wrestle on the cream-colored carpet. Suppressing a chuckle, he watched as a small girl with long black pigtails tearfully berated them when they bumped into the plastic building block table she was playing at, knocking her creation over. As the little girl scrunched up her face to yell, a much older blonde girl came over and pulled the younger one gently in her arms, rocking her back and forth.

Roy studied the new girl. She was too young for his tastes, but he could still see that she would be very attractive as she got older. He wondered vaguely if she worked here. She didn't look like she was wearing any sort of uniform, unless a tank top, miniskirt and combat boots were some kind of uniform. He huffed, that was ridiculous, he concluded. She was obviously another of the tenants. His train of thought was derailed by the sound of someone clearing their throat behind him.

"Mr. Mustang, sir. Please, my supervisor is ready to see you now," Andrew stood and gestured for Roy to follow him into a room behind the counter.

Roy entered the room and was greeted by the program director, a man of middle age and a medium build. He was of medium height and sported a neatly trimmed salt-and-pepper goatee below hazel eyes. There were prominent streaks of grey at his temples, and the rest of his short-cropped hair matched his goatee. He was dressed in a slate business suit with a black tie.

"Hello Mr. Mustang, my name is William Thatcher. I hear you're interested in adopting one of our children?" the middle-aged man held his hand for Roy to shake.

"Ah, yes. There is this boy out there who caught my eye, most likely because he was trying not to. A short blond, probably thirteen or fourteen, though I was told he was sixteen," the raven-haired man took the offered hand and gave it a firm shake. "He was sitting in a corner with his nose buried in a book." He smiled. "Oh, I would also like to file a complaint against... What was his name?" Roy thought for moment, trying to remember the receptionist's name. He snapped his fingers before continuing. "Andrew. He was rather rude, and insulted both myself and my companion."

"Please, have a seat. You're not the first to complain about him. I've had other complaints lodged against him. Not only from other employees, but from some of the older girls here as well," Mr. Thatcher sighed as he wrote a note to himself regarding his misbehaving associate. "I'm sure you know adopting is a lifelong commitment. Once the child is in your custody, it's final."

"I understand."

"Also, the process for adopting a child can be a lengthy endeavor, depending on how many other families are interested in the same child or children. However, in your case, I don't believe it will take very long. You see, the boy you're talking about, Mr. Elric, has quite the... reputation, and not many people want to take in a teen as... Well, I don't want to sound rude or mean, but he is... emotionally damaged. He's never stayed in anyone's home for more than a month. I can't really give you the details, but something terrible happened to him a little over three years ago, and ever since then, he's been a tad... rebellious."

Roy smiled sadly. "It can't be all that bad."

"Of course, we will still have to follow procedure and do the home study. It may take up to two months." William leaned forward, placing his elbows on the desk. "Would you like to meet him?"

"Sure."

William picked up the handset of the phone and punched out a few numbers. After a few seconds wait, he spoke. "Could you bring Edward Elric to my office please? No, he's not in trouble again. I just need to speak with him." Mr. Thatcher turned back to Roy as he hung up the phone. "He really is a good boy. He simply makes bad decisions. He is incredibly intelligent, and was top of his freshman class. But when that thing happened, well, he simply hasn't been the same since."

"Of course," the dark-haired man agreed amiably. He opened his mouth to speak further, but was interrupted by the door blasting open. A short blond teen stormed through the door.

"I didn't do anything, old man, so why are you calling me here?" the teen spat out as he threw himself into a chair, crossing his arms over his chest. Roy noticed that the teen had a hard time moving his right arm.

"You're not in trouble, Edward," Mr. Thatcher spoke quietly. "This is Roy Mustang. He's looking for someone to adopt."

"Oh, and you chose to foist me off on him? What, do you want to get rid of me that badly? Have you gotten that many complaints about me from all those families?" Edward demanded, turning his gaze on Roy. "I know you. You're that faggot politician. Nobody's gonna vote for you, you know."

Roy's jaw fell open and William sputtered. "Edward! Apologize to Mr. Mustang this instant! That was incredibly rude and very much uncalled for."

The blond snorted, rolling his eyes. "Make me."

"Again with the tabloid rumors," Mustang sighed and held up a hand in an attempt to placate the two. "It's quite all right. Edward is entitled to his opinion, wrong as it may be."

"No. Edward knows better and will apologize."

"Yeah, fine, whatever. I'm sorry," the young blond's tone was dripping with sarcasm.

"Edward..." William spoke evenly, his voice ringing with authority. Edward paled and swallowed nervously. "We've had this discussion before."

"I-I'm sorry. Really, I am," the teen sounded much more sincere this time.

"Mr. Mustang, why don't you and Edward walk around the grounds for a while, get to know each other?" Mr. Thatcher suggested. "Edward, behave," he added, throwing a knowing look at the teen.

"Yes sir."

The blonde Roy had seen comforting the little girl earlier ran up to Edward as he and the boy exited the office. "Edward, what's wrong? Are you in trouble again?"

"No, I'm not in trouble Winry," Edward answered her tersely. "I had to meet someone. I think they're gonna stick me in another home for a while."

"Oh."

"Yeah, and now I have to spend time with the guy," Edward spoke, ignoring Roy's presence.

Winry smiled brightly, placing one hand on her hip. "Can I come with you?" Ed shook his head, answering her question.

"No, I'm gonna shake this guy as quickly as I can."

Roy scowled at the conversation. Being ignored like he was didn't bother him, but Edward's attitude was upsetting. 'Wow, what an angry child. I wonder what happened to him to make him this way?'

The blonde girl looked dejected, but forced a smile to her face. "Okay then, I guess I'll talk to you in a bit!" She waved as she went back toward the group of youngsters, arriving just in time to break up a fight between two boys.

"Well Edward," the dark-haired man cleared his throat as they exited the building and started walking slowly around the perimeter. "Ready to try to be rid of me? I have a goal now, and you'll find that I'm not so easily dissuaded."

Edward sneered at the older man. "Well, aren't you special?"

Roy smirked. "Well, let's find out."

The blond sniffed disdainfully. "Look, I don't need you. I don't need anyone. As soon as I turn eighteen, I'm out of here."

"And where will you go?"

"I'm not going to tell you. I don't have to tell you."

Roy held up his hands. "Fair enough. So, what kind of things do you like to do?" He smiled as the boy shot a glare at him from under his bangs. "Okay... Do you..." he mumbled to himself as he thought of what to say next. "Do you play sports?"

"I had my arm and leg shattered several years ago. I had to go through several months of physical therapy just to learn to walk and use my right hand again. What do you think?"

Roy blanched. "Sorry."

"Don't be. I don't need your sympathy."

Roy looked at his feet as he walked aimlessly alongside the teen. "Edward, please don't misunderstand me. I simply want..."

"Look," Edward interrupted. "I walked with you, I talked with you. So, now I'm done. See you later," he waved half-heartedly as he walked away, leaving Roy alone and a bit heart broken.

The conversation, and Roy was being generous by calling it such, he'd just had with the boy left the raven-haired man all the more determined to make Edward a part of his life. He wanted to show the boy that not everyone in the world was out to hurt him. He promised himself that he would be the father Edward needed and sent a silent prayer to any god that would listen that he be allowed to adopt Edward Elric.


	2. Chapter 2

"You know Roy, when you pace like that, you remind of a time when I was seven. I remember, my father and I were waiting at the hospital when my mother was giving birth to my younger sister, Catherine," Armstrong said as he passed through the living room, watching his lover with an amused grin on his face.

"I can't help it, Alex," Roy murmured, turning pleading eyes toward his lover. "Since the phone call two days ago, I've just been so jumpy. What if I'm not good enough to adopt? What if they don't let me have Edward?"

"Everything will be fine. You're a good man, and any child would be blessed to have you as a father," Alex answered quietly, cupping Roy's face in his large hands. Smiling, he bent down and kissed the tip of his partner's small nose. "Relax. It will be fine. I have faith in you," he reiterated as he made his way out of the house to run some errands.

That had been an hour ago. Since then, Roy had continued pacing, snapping his fingers in agitation, a habit he had developed as a child. Anytime Roy was nervous, he found himself snapping his fingers.

Roy answered the door. It was nine o'clock in the morning. Unable to sleep past sunrise, he had been up, pacing back and forth between the living room and the kitchen. Every so often during his rounds, he would pick up an object and clean it, wiping off imagined dust. He was told to expect someone to come by his house when he left the orphanage last week, and wanted to be sure the house was in perfect condition.

"Hello," he smiled jovially as he pulled the door open to admit the man he had been waiting for. To his surprise, it was William Thatcher, the man who ran the orphanage he had gone to the previous week. "Mr. Thatcher, how are you?"

William held out his hand in greeting. "I'm doing well, Mr. Mustang. Thank you. And yourself?"

"I'm fine... But, I wasn't expecting you," Roy stammered. "Wait, that sounded bad. What I meant was..." Roy took the proffered hand in a firm, welcoming grip.

The other man smiled. "It's okay. I understand if you were expecting someone else, but you got me. I guess I should have told you that I'm Edward's caseworker. I'm here for the interview and inspection. There are certain conditions you must meet before a home visit is allowed. But, I'm sure you're an upstanding individual," he stepped into the house and leaned close to Mustang conspiratorially. "To tell you the truth, and this is completely off the record mind you... But, I think you'll get him." He winked and placed a finger to his lips in a shhhing gesture.

Roy smiled easily. "Well, that's good to hear."

William clapped his hands as well as he could, considering he held a briefcase in one of his hands. "Well, let's get this started. Is there a place where we can sit?"

"Uhhh... Yes. Follow me," Roy motioned for the older man to follow him into the dining room. "Can I offer you something to drink?"

"Water's fine, thank you."

"Ice, or no ice?"

"Ice, please."

It took the dark-haired man a couple minutes to make the two glasses of ice water. Once finished, he went back into the dining room, taking a seat at the table. "So," he started, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "How do we do this?"

"First, I need to ask you some questions. Then, we'll tour the house and make sure it is satisfactory for Edward to spend a couple nights here," Mr. Thatcher explained before taking a small sip of water.

"He'll be spending the night tonight? Oh, I haven't gotten the guest room set up for him yet!" Mustang gasped out, nearly panicking.

"Calm down, it won't be immediate," The caseworker chuckled. "We'll send him to visit next week. However, as I said before, Edward's reputation precedes him, and not many families are interested in a delinquent. That is, you're the first person to really see Edward, the boy, and not Edward, the troublemaker. I think you'll be a good parent for him. He needs someone like you in his life." William snapped open the locks on the briefcase and pulled out some folders. "Now, I do need you to read these documents. They're simply points and key phrases on the intent to adopt petition. Go ahead and take a few minutes to look over them, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask me," William held out a folder for Roy to take.

Mustang nodded as he took the folder and began leafing through it. After a moment, he chuckled. "Hehe, Mr. Thatcher, there's a typo here," clearing his throat, Roy spoke the offending sentence aloud. "'Speak with another parent who have used the agency.' The 'have' should be 'has.'"

William leaned over to look at the passage the other man pointed out. "Oh my, I see. You're right. However, we already have so many of these printed that it's a bit late to do anything about those," he answered, laughing as well.

Roy continued reading. After a few more moments, he lay down the papers and turned to Mr. Thatcher. "All right, I think I understand. May I ask how Edward was orphaned, and he's not living with any family members? I, too, was orphaned, but I was able to avoid being put into the system when my parents died, since my mother's sister took me in."

"Yes. His mother died when he was very young, and when we contacted his father, the man sent us release papers. In doing so, he gave up his rights as a parent. We searched, but we could not find any living relatives for the Elrics," he rummaged through his briefcase for a few seconds before pulling out a rather thick folder. "Honestly, I shouldn't be showing you this without a lawyer present, but I really think you should be completely aware of Edward's situation," He hesitated, tapping the corner of the folder on the tabletop a couple times before reluctantly handing it over. "Please read everything in that folder carefully."

The dark-haired man took the folder, noting the somber expression on the other man's face. Opening the folder, he furrowed his brows. He read the contents silently for a few moments before returning his attention to the other man. "There are files for two boys here. I thought I was only adopting Edward. Who is Alphonse?"

"You are. You see, Alphonse was Edward's younger brother," William started.

"Was?"

"Yes. Alphonse Elric is deceased. He died three years ago. Please, continue reading."

Roy nodded sadly and returned his attention to the folder. It took him close to thirty minutes to read the contents of the folder, and when he was done, he found himself wiping his eyes. "Wow..." he swallowed.

"Yeah. Now that this part is out of the way, I have some questions for you."

"Certainly."

The older man cleared his throat. "First, I want to ask you a personal question. You don't have to answer, but I am curious."

Roy lifted an eyebrow. "All right..."

"Well, when you came to my office, and Edward made his rude commentary... You didn't really flinch. So..." William held up a hand. "I'm asking this question on a completely personal level. Your answer will not sway my opinion on the adopting, I assure you."

Mustang fought the urge to snap his fingers and drummed his fingers on his leg instead, waiting for the man to quit hemming and hawing around the subject. He had a basic idea what the question was, and wished the man would just spit it out already. "Okay."

"Are you... gay?"

Roy smiled. "Well, actually, I'm bisexual, to tell the truth. But, I prefer to keep my relationships private."

"I see. Well, you're still the best candidate to adopt Edward."

"I'm the only candidate."

William smiled. "Well, for now, yes."

"Tell me about Edward. What's the reputation you spoke of earlier?"

"Hmmm... Edward has a history of running away from his homes. You see, whenever something happens, and he feels he'll take the blame... He'll leave before he can get in trouble," the older man cleared his throat. "Because he had a brother, and it was Mr. Elric's wish that the boys always be placed together, Edward would take Alphonse with him."

Roy frowned. A chronic runaway habit was not good news, considering his political career.

"I asked Ed why once, and he said he had made a promise to his mother, who had said he should always look after Alphonse."

"I see," Roy turned back to the papers in his hand.

"Having second thoughts?"

Mustang shook his head. "No, I'm just... I don't know yet how I will make him feel that he'll no longer need to run away from home."

"That's probably something you'll discover as you spend more time with him." William took another sip of his water before continuing. "Let's begin the interview shall we? I'll let you know now, it may seem a bit scripted. I must use a sanctioned list of questions. But, I also added a few things based on our conversation before. These answers will go on record, so I ask you to be completely honest."

"Of course," Mustang swallowed. Suddenly, the man before him changed, becoming more professional. He pulled a tape recorder from his briefcase and turned it on.

Mr. Thatcher pulled out another piece of paper. "These are the questions. Would you like to see the list?" After Roy held up a hand in a negative gesture, he went on. "What do you do for a living?"

Roy cocked his head when he heard the question. Obviously, the man knew what he did, so it must have been one of the sanctioned questions he was required to answer. "Well, I dabble in politics. I'm hoping to get a seat on the city council someday. However, I lack the experience to get very far yet. I graduated five years ago, and I'm still learning everything there is to know about politics." He sighed. "I think I'll never stop learning. The world changes every day."

William paused. "What is your average annual income?"

"I make approximately 87 thousand cenz per year." Roy caught the other man's hesitation. It was a somewhat personal question, but he understood that the question was necessary.

"You wanted an older child. Why?"

Roy thought a moment before answering. "I wanted an older child because I have limitations in knowing how to take care of a younger child. It also seems to me that people usually overlook older children in favor of infants and toddlers. I think teens deserve a chance to be in a family, too."

The older man nodded in obvious agreement. "What reason do you have for wanting to adopt?"

"I feel that I would like to help someone to make a difference in their personal life by being there to support them. Children in the foster care system do not have the stability to make real changes in their lives. I was able to avoid being put into the system when my parents died, since my mother's sister took me in."

"What are your expectations for the future in having adopted a child?"

Mustang held his chin in his hand, thinking for a few seconds, trying to remember the rules that were enforced when he was a child. "I expect to create a working relationship based upon mutual respect and trust that will give my adopted child a strong support system to succeed at life."

"What do you feel would be appropriate disciplinary actions?"

The politician blinked a couple times, drawing a blank. "Can you give me an example of something that requires discipline?"

"Say the child steals your car to run away," William offered.

"Hmmm..." Roy leaned back in his chair and gazed at the ceiling, pondering possible scenarios. "That's a rather good question."

"Take your time."

"Well, once I discovered that both the child and the vehicle were missing, I suppose I would have to get involved with the police to recover them. Then, I would sit down with the child to try to learn why the child felt the need to run away in the first place."

"So, is that the sum of how you would punish the child?"

"No. Once I know why they stole the vehicle, I can create a reasonable punishment based on the reason for the crime. Such as, being grounded for a set amount of time or chores outside the child's normal responsibilities."

"Next question. What household rules do you expect to be maintained?"

Smiling, Roy answered easily. "I expect the child to keep his room clean. I expect Edward to eat meals with us at the table. I would also expect him to be responsible in bringing home school work and getting it completed while maintaining decent grades." He remembered what William had said before about Edward being extremely intelligent.

"What do you know about parenting?"

"I know what my own parents did to raise me, before they died, and what my aunt did after she adopted me," Mustang spoke slowly, trying to remember his early childhood. "For example, I learned from them that I was a human being, and they respected this. As with the example of the stolen car, they would have sat down and explained to me why I shouldn't do specific things. They would also have involved me in the creation of reasonable consequences for my actions." Roy took a breath. "It taught me to be responsible for myself and my actions. I'm going to turn thirty-one soon, and the lessons they taught me have stayed with me all my life."

"How many people live in this house?"

"Myself and Alex Armstrong. A friend of mine, Riza Hawkeye, occasionally stays over a night or two, but that's only every couple of months."

"Does anyone living in this house object to your decision?"

Roy's face split into a huge grin. "No. My roommate and I discussed this at great length. We did some research and discussed how our budget and lifestyle would change once a child entered our life. This decision was not made lightly."

"Tell me about your roommate."

Roy sighed heavily. "Alex is a great guy. We met in college. I was studying social and political sciences, and he was studying business. He comes from this prestigious family, and he had to take many different courses. His primary education took place in a military school," Roy whipped out his cell phone. "I can call him if you want. You'll need to talk to him, right?"

"Yes, please tell him I will have to ask him some questions as well. But, he won't need to rush home. Right now, since you are the one filing for adoption, this interview is more important."

Mustang placed his phone on the table after sending his lover a quick text message. "Okay. That's fine."

"Because you are technically single, if you choose to settle down, how will you integrate a spouse into the relationship shared by you and the adopted child?"

"If you take me, you also take my child. We're a package deal," Mustang answered instantly. He had always been of the opinion that a person couldn't pick and choose among members of an already established family.

"Thank you for your answers, Mr. Mustang," William placed his questionnaire in the briefcase, but kept out his notepad. "Let's take a tour, shall we? I'll talk to Mr. Armstrong when he gets here," he said as he turned off the tape recorder.


	3. Chapter 3

Mustang led William Thatcher throughout the house, starting with the bottom floor. "As you can see, I have plenty of room for Edward. There's a spare bedroom for him, and it has its own bathroom. But that's upstairs. I'll show it to you when we get there."

"Very nice," the older man nodded appreciatively.

Roy smiled. "I'm sure Edward will love it here." _'I certainly hope he does.'_

William scanned the architecture with an approving eye. "How did you come by such a fine house?"

The dark-haired man chuckled softly. "It's actually Alex's house. I don't have the funds right now to afford this place. He got it from his family."

"He comes from a large family, then?" the older man asked, obviously impressed.

"Yes. But, I'll let him tell you about it. It's not really my place to go into it. I hope you understand."

Thatcher nodded. The name 'Armstrong' was familiar to him, but he wasn't sure where he had heard it before.

"Well, the room we were in was the dining room. The kitchen and pantry are attached. There's a laundry room attached to the pantry," Roy took a deep breath as they entered the spacious living room. "This is the living room. The fireplace is shared by this room and the den."

"That doesn't seem very sound, architecturally."

"You're right. But, somehow they made it work. I think they strengthened the walls around the firebox. The studs are thicker and stronger in that wall as well. Anyway, there's one bedroom downstairs, and a bathroom," Roy motioned for the other man to follow. "Down the hall is a small study we use as a library."

"Very nice," William murmured as he made notes.

"Ready to see the second story?" Roy asked as he made his way over to the stairs in a far corner of the living room.

William followed wordlessly up the U-shaped stairway. "Wow," he whistled as they cleared the second landing. "My, my... Your partner's family must love him very much." He looked at the rich artwork that hung on the walls. On closer inspection, he saw that they were licensed replicas.

Roy laughed. "Yeah... I suppose they do."

"I saw more downstairs."

"More what?"

The greying man swept his arm. "The artwork. It's very nice."

"Ah, the art is Alex's. Most of the books are mine. I enjoy the artwork myself, though."

"It seems that this household is very cultured."

"We try. Anyway, if we go down this hall, we'll reach the upstairs study. It's across from the main upstairs bathroom."

"Shall we take a look at the room that will be Edward's?"

Roy led the man toward a room to the left of the stairway. Opening the door, he stepped in and waited for the other man to follow. "We were using it as a storage space, but I started cleaning it up again once I made the decision to adopt." He gestured toward some boxes that were still scattered haphazardly throughout the room. "As you can see, I'm still working on it." Roy laughed again. "Well, that... And, I really needed to throw out some things I was no longer using regularly." He continued after regaining his composure.

"Always a good reason," William agreed as he inspected the room. "What's this door?"

"The bathroom. I figured that I would give Edward some privacy, considering the way he was acting when I was at your agency," Roy explained. "And, what read in that file as well..."

Mr. Thatcher looked around the room some more, making notes all the while. After a few more minutes of inspection, he turned to Roy, who had sat on the bed to wait. "Well, I like this room. It seems well suited for a teenager. I think you made a good choice."

Mustang let out the air he didn't realize he had been holding. He was pleased that he and his home seemed to pass the inspection, and wanted to ask to be sure. However, he didn't want the other to think he was being impatient. Standing, he waited for William to make the first move.

"Let's go back downstairs and wait for Mr. Armstrong to arrive."

Roy nodded and allowed the older man to precede him out of the room.

- - - - -

Armstrong entered his house roughly twenty minutes after receiving Roy's text message. He glanced into the living room and saw Roy and another man sitting on the couch, talking. "Hello," he lifted a hand in greeting as he strode into the room.

Roy looked up from his seat and smiled. "Alex, this is Mr. Thatcher, Edward's case worker, and the man we'll be working with to adopt Edward."

The tall man walked over to the couch and held out his hand. "Hello, my name is Alex Louis Armstrong."

"Armstrong?" He asked, the name finally making a connection in his brain. "You mean, of the Armstrong family?" The Armstrong family was highly influential in the world of politics and the military.

"Yes," Alex answered uneasily. He knew his family was rather famous around Central, but he never liked to fall back on his family's prestige.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Armstrong. I hope you don't mind sitting down for a short interview. Even though you won't be the one adopting the child, as Mr. Mustang's roommate," he emphasized the word. "You live in this house, and will be helping raise him." William pulled the tape recorder from his pocket and set it on the coffee table. "It will be recorded."

Armstrong nodded in understanding, taking a seat on the couch. "Roommate," he said slowly, as if testing the word.

"Yes. We have had gay couples adopt from us in the past, however, the process was very drawn out. Mr. Mustang has already labeled you as his roommate in his interview. I apologize if it seems that I'm asking you to deny or hide your relationship." Mr. Thatcher turned on the recorder when Armstrong held up a hand in response. "Let's begin. What do you do for a living?"

Armstrong stared at the recorder for a few seconds and realized he would have to chose his words carefully in order to not give the man a bad impression of Roy. "I work as Mr. Mustang's live-in secretary."

The older man raised an eyebrow in something close to awe. "What is your average annual income?"

"I make approximately 60 thousand cenz a year."

"Do you agree with your roommate's choice to adopt a child?"

"Of course, his happiness is my happiness," Armstrong answered without a second thought. He hung his head after realizing what he had just said. "That is, we try to keep the peace here. He and I have been friends for a long time, and we get along well, but sometimes we have disagreements. We are only human, after all."

"What are your expectations for the future, once you are sharing your home with a child?"

Armstrong cupped his chin in thought. "Hmmm... Do you mean what do I expect from the child?"

William nodded in affirmation.

"I understand. Let's see... Respect, punctuality, good grades..." Alex ticked off the attributes with his fingers as he spoke.

"Tell me about yourself."

Armstrong's demeanor suddenly became more serious. "Well, as it was mentioned before, I'm a member of the influential Armstrong family. However, I am my own self-made man."

"Give me an unbiased opinion of Roy Mustang."

"Roy is a good man. He graduated in the top 25 of his class in college. He doesn't like inequality. He defended the underdogs in school when they were being harassed by bullies and the like," Armstrong smiled gently, but there was a hint of sadness in his smile. "He was my best friend during our final years in college. So, when he had no place to go to when he graduated, I offered him a place in my home."

William nodded, noting the other man's expression. "Is he good with children?"

"Yes," Alex smiled more openly. "However, I've only seen him interact with one child. She is the daughter of a friend of ours. She'll be turning four this year."

"She doesn't come over often, though?" the older man asked, tilting his head questioningly.

Armstrong shook his head, forgetting momentarily that the conversation was being recorded. "No, she and her mother come over for dinner every few months, but it's not often. Her late husband and Roy grew up together. They were as close as brothers."

"I see. Is Mr. Mustang strict?"

"He could be, if the situation called for it," Armstrong sat a moment in thought. "But, usually, he'd just sit down with someone and explain to them why what they did was wrong or dangerous. I'm sure if he's able to do that with a three-year-old, he can do it with a teenager."

"Teens are different from toddlers," William spoke, his tone flat.

Armstrong chuckled. "I suppose you're right. I don't have much experience with either, but I'm willing to learn."

"That's good to hear. Well, I think this interview is done. Thank you, Mr. Armstrong," the grey-haired man leaned over to turn off the recorder. Turning aside, he clicked open his briefcase and carefully placed the recorder inside. Standing, he set his gaze on the door. "Mr. Mustang, you can come in now."

Roy cracked the door open and peered into the living room. He placed a hand behind his head and blushed. "Was I that obvious? I'm sorry. It's just that I'm so nervous. I've never adopted anyone before."

Mr. Thatcher nodded, a faint smile on his lips. "It's completely understandable. However, there's nothing to worry about. I told you before, right now, you're the only candidate for adopting Edward. I'll be rooting for you."

"Thank you," Roy murmured as he and Armstrong escorted Mr. Thatcher to the door. "Thank you for coming over today," he said, holding out his hand.

"Thank you both for your time. I'll be calling you in few days to set up the overnight stay," William said, shaking each man's hands in turn.

As the door slowly closed behind the leaving man, Roy and Armstrong turned to each other, hopeful grins plastered on their faces.

- - - - -

"Hello?" Roy asked as he picked up the phone. A representative from the adoption agency was on the other end. This was the call William Thatcher had told him to expect.

"Hello. Am I speaking with Roy Mustang?" the voice asked. It was a woman.

"Yes, how may I help you?" Mustang asked, trying to keep the nervousness from leaking into his voice.

The woman continued. "I'm calling to set up a time for Edward Elric to be dropped off at your premises."

"I see. Anytime today is good. When should I be expecting him?" Roy flipped through the day planner that sat next to the phone. He didn't need to look in it to know when he was available, he was simply nervous.

"Today is what we were going for. I was calling to confirm a time."

The dark-haired man rolled his hands in the air for a few seconds. "Like I said, anytime today is fine. Everything is ready for him." Everything was ready for Edward's arrival, and had been ready since the day after the interview. He and Alex had compulsively cleaned the spare bedroom, throwing out things they hadn't bothered with in years.

"_Why do we still have this? Does it even work anymore?" Roy asked, holding up a toaster._

"_How should I know? We have one that works, so why not get rid of it?" Alex glowered at this lover. It was true that he had told his interviewer that Roy's happiness was his happiness, but right now, Roy's happiness was giving him a headache._

In the end, the pair decided to throw out everything that wasn't necessary to their daily life. This left a couple photo albums, some toys Elysia had outgrown, which they set aside to donate to charity, and an alarm clock that they decided to give to Edward once they discovered that it still worked.

"How does three o'clock this afternoon sound?" the woman asked.

Roy shook his head, bringing himself back to the present. "Yes. That's fine. Three o'clock is fine. I'll be expecting him then."

"Thank you, Mr. Mustang. Did you have any questions before I let you go?"

Roy pondered a moment. "No. I have no questions. Thank you."

"Thank you for your time, Mr. Mustang. Have a nice rest of your day," the voice on the other end spoke before disconnecting the call.

Roy placed the handset on the cradle as Armstrong walked into the living room. "Who was that?"

"The agency. They're bringing Edward over at three," he looked at Alex, his eyes wide. "Is this going to be okay? I mean, will this work out?"

"Calm down, Roy. Everything will be fine. Relax, breathe," the large man placed his hands on Mustang's shoulders and pushed him over to a chair, forcing his to sit down. "You're stressing yourself out needlessly."

Once his body hit the chair, Roy immediately sprung back up, making his way into the kitchen. "I need a drink."

Alex followed the man, grabbing Roy's hands as he pulled open the liquor cabinet. "No, alcohol isn't going to help you right now."

"I just need a shot. Just one shot to calm my nerves. That's all, I promise," Roy wheedled.

Alex frowned. He didn't like it when Roy drank, but he knew that Roy was very careful when he drank. However, that didn't the man from overdoing it sometimes. "No. Think about it, Roy. How do you think Edward will take it if he finds out you needed a drink in order to deal with the fact that he's coming over? If it were me in Edward's shoes, I would feel unwanted."

The dark-haired man lowered his arms and stared at his feet, taking in what the other man had just said. He knew Alex had a point, but it did nothing to ease my anxiety. "What if Edward doesn't like me? I mean, he was very distant when I talked with him that day we were at the orphanage."

"Of course he was different. From what you about me about the contents of his file, every time he experiences change, something terrible happens. Besides, he only spent fifteen minutes with you, at most, that day. That's not enough time to get to know someone." Alex smiled. "I'm sure he'll like you once he gets to know you."

"I hope you're right."


	4. Chapter 4

"He's here," Roy squeaked when he heard the squeal of brakes in the driveway. "He's here."

Alex lowered the paper he was reading. "Then go to the door and meet him."

The dark-haired man nodded emphatically as he rushed to the door. "Right." He pulled open the door and watched as Edward slid out of an agency vehicle. "Hey!"

Edward ignored the man at the door as he turned, reaching into the vehicle and dragging out a duffel bag. Mr. Thatcher told him he would be spending a few nights with Mr. Mustang, but Edward decided that he didn't have to enjoy his time with the man. He curled his lip in disgust, thinking about the men who lived in the house. They may have denied their relationship in public, but he knew the truth. He had seen the larger man try to kiss the other in front of the orphanage when they came to visit. Everyone thought he ignored everyone and everything around him, but in reality, he was used to being observant. Especially after... He shook his head. It wouldn't do to think about it anymore. He couldn't change the past, all he could do was face ahead and take the future on as it came to him.

"It's gonna be fine, kid," the agency driver said, throwing an arm over the headrest of the passenger seat to twist himself enough to look at the blond.

Edward sneered at him. "Whatever you say." Years ago, he had discovered that it was easier sometimes to simply agree with everyone else and go along with the flow. This tactic had kept him out of trouble numerous times throughout his tumultuous adolescence.

Ed slung his bag over his shoulder and slowly made his way to the front door as the car drove away. He took a deep breath and stared at the man standing in the open door, upset that he hadn't come completely out of the house to greet him yet. '_Not that I care...'_

Roy held out his hand, opening his mouth to offer a helping hand with Edward's baggage. He dropped his arm as the teen pushed him aside and entered the house.

"So, where am I sleeping?" the blond asked brusquely, his golden eyes scanning the house meticulously.

Roy glanced at Alex, raising an eyebrow.

The bald man smiled, nodding at his lover in a 'you can do it' gesture.

"Hello, Edward," Roy turned and addressed the teen who had stormed into the house.

"Whatever," the blond snorted.

The dark-haired man stepped forward, reaching for Edward's bag. "Come on, I'll show you to your room. You can stick your bag in there and then we can get to know each other."

Edward tightened his grip on the handle of his duffel bag, causing Roy to lower his arm. Halfway through its descent, the man swept his arm, beckoning the teen to follow him up the stairs. "It's right this way." He smiled, hoping Edward would not be so tense after a few hours in his new home. "Have you had lunch yet?"

The blond grunted in response. He was hungry, but he wasn't going to let Mustang know about it. He didn't want to owe the man anything for the meal. All the 'parents' he'd been with over the years were always nice at first, but would suddenly turn on him and his brother and demand retribution for the room and board they'd been given. Somehow, the checks from the state hadn't been enough to most of them, so Edward became cold and emotionless from the beginning of any stay. That way, he could protect himself from being hurt too badly whenever he found out he was being used as a way to get supplementary income. The only person who had seen his real smile was dead, and there was no bringing his brother back.

"I see," Roy muttered. It was obvious that Edward wanted nothing to do with him, but Roy decided not to give the teen that option. "Well," the raven-haired man clapped his hands. "After you get settled, maybe we can all sit down and talk. I'm sure you're curious about me, right?"

"Not really."

Mustang sighed. "Well, I would like to get to know you, Edward. I mean, I'm going to be your father soon, and I think things would work better if we knew each other and our boundaries," he said as he opened the door to the bedroom he had chosen for Edward.

Edward scowled, refusing to face the man as he walked past him and threw his bag on the bed. He looked around, reluctantly impressed by the room. It was much nicer, and much larger, than many of the rooms he had been allowed to stay in before. "Nice," he muttered before catching himself.

'_I knew he'd like it,'_ Roy thought, smiling.

"I mean, for something like this. I've had better." _'It wasn't as big as this, but the room I had before Mom died was the best, ever...'_

Roy walked over to the chest of drawers. "You can put your stuff in here."

"Nah. I'm only going to be here for three days."

"For now," Roy countered.

"I guess."

The older man spread his hands. "Well, I'll just leave you to get settled. You sure you're not hungry? I could make you a sandwich..."

"I'm fine," Edward sat on the edge of the bed. "I have some homework to do, so I'll just work on that for a while."

Roy frowned at the brush off. He really wanted the teen to feel welcome, but Edward was not making it easy. "Did you need any help?" he asked in a last ditch effort to make the boy realize he wasn't under attack. "I can show you around the house."

The blond shook his head. "No, I'm good. Tha-" he caught himself. This man was being so nice that Edward almost returned the gesture. "That is, if I need anything, I'll ask."

"Well, if you're sure. We'll be here if you need anything." Roy watched as the teen pulled out a couple of textbooks from his bag.

Edward grunted as he tossed the textbooks aside and reached into the bag once more, this time pulling out a binder. Noticing that the man had not yet left, the blond gave him a meaningful glare. He was not used to be constantly supervised, and the man's hovering made him nervous. "Was there anything else?"

"Ummm... I guess not. If you're sure there's nothing else I can do for you, I'll leave you to your studies."

Edward let out a silent sigh as the door shut behind the man. So far, his plan had worked. If he could make the man hate him, then he wouldn't want to adopt him, and he would be free. Ed was well aware of the reputation he had, and used it to his advantage. Looking down at the books he had pulled out of his bag as a deterrent, he decided to do the homework. He had planned to do it later, but if it kept the men downstairs away from him, then he was willing to do his homework now. _'Besides,'_ Edward smiled as he settled down and immersed himself in his studies. _'I enjoy studying.'_

A few hours later, the blond was jerked from his academic pursuits by a knock at the door. "Yes?"

"Hey," Roy poked his head into the room. "Time for dinner. I made a pot roast and some mixed vegetables. I don't know what you like, but I hope you like it. Come on." He smiled and gestured with his head Edward to follow him to the dining room.

The teen looked at the clock and was shocked at how late it was. He closed his textbook and followed the man. He was wary of the situation, but the mention of pot roast made his mouth water. He hadn't eaten so richly in a while, and this was going to be treat... if he allowed himself the pleasure. Roy seemed to be a nice guy at first glance, but Edward was sure the man was hiding something underneath the surface. After spending as much time as he had in the foster care system, he had learned to not trust things based on appearance alone.

As the duo cleared the stairwell, the smell of dinner assaulted Ed's nose, making his mouth water even more. _'No, I can't give in. If I do, I'll owe... But, I haven't eaten all day...'_

"Come on, Ed... er... Edward," Roy stammered, not knowing if the boy liked being called by the shortened version of his name. "Help yourself."

Edward took a seat the table, opposite the two men, who were watching him expectantly. The blond stared at this plate, which was overflowing with food. There was a thick slab of meat, a healthy dollop of mashed potatoes, and a good amount of mixed vegetables. Looking at his serving, Edward almost felt guilty for the way he was about to waste the food he was being given. "It... Uhhh..." he started before sighing and picking up his fork. "You gave me a lot."

Roy chuckled. "Of course. You are a growing boy, aren't you? I remember eating a lot when I was your age. Besides, you haven't eaten all afternoon, so I figured you'd be hungry."

'_I am hungry...'_ "I see," the blond poked at his potatoes for a few seconds before bringing a small forkful to his mouth. He noticed that neither Mustang nor Armstrong started eating until he had swallowed his first bite.

The three eat in silence before Roy spoke. "So, did you get a lot of your homework done? I thought school was out this week and the next for spring break..."

"Yeah, it is. But they gave us homework to do over the holiday," Edward mentally kicked himself for being friendly. He was tired. He hadn't studied that much or that hard in a while, and his body was letting him know about it. He poked at the meat as he watched the men eat.

Halfway through the meal, Roy looked up and noticed Edward was simply poking at his food. "Are you okay?"

Golden eyes shot up and met Mustang's concerned gaze. "I... I'm fine."

"Just a little nervous, huh? It's okay. I would be the same way, if I were spending the night in a stranger's house. We can put what you don't eat in the fridge for later," the dark-haired man smiled. "There's no need for you to feel nervous or afraid. This is your home, too, as long as you're here." He turned to his companion. "Right Alex?"

"Of course," the large man agreed heartily, smiling so broadly, his eyes seemed to glow.

Edward smiled weakly, wanting nothing more than to be away from the table. He looked down at his still full plate, wondering what he should do. He had turned down the tour he was offered earlier, so he didn't know where anything was. The only place in the house he knew well was the room he had stayed in all afternoon. He had been pleased to discover the attached bathroom, which meant he wouldn't have to sneak around every time he needed to relieve himself.

"Hey, want to look around the house now?" Alex asked as he stood, picking up his dishes and carrying them to the sink.

Edward's eyes shifted. "Uhhh..." He studied the big man out of the corner of his eye. There was no way there could be a living man that large. If things got bad, there would be no way he could defend himself against the bald man. "I guess that would be fine," he agreed timidly. _'Yeah, I'll look for possible exits I can use... just in case.'_

"Okay then. Here, let me take care of that," Roy reached over and picked up the plate sitting in front of the teen. "That is, if you're done with it."

Edward nodded, his eyes glued to his lap.

"Well, come on then. I'll take this time to show you the kitchen."

Edward stood and slowly walked over to the raven-haired man, his eyes scanning his surroundings.

- - - - -

Edward lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling and trying to ignore his empty stomach. His mind kept wandering to the plate of food that was sitting in the fridge downstairs. Roy has said it would be there for him if he got hungry, and as much as Edward wanted to go down there and eat it, he didn't want to be in debt to a stranger. He glanced at the clock.

'_Midnight.'_

He glared at the offending neon digits. He had finished all his homework during the afternoon, and he was bored. He had tried before to save up for a personal handheld entertainment system, but every time he raised enough funds, something came up and he lost his money. He had tried to open his own bank account in the past, but being a minor with no permanent guardian, the banks always turned him down.

Heaving a sigh, the teen curled up into a ball, laying on his side and hugging his knees to his chest. After a moment of lying in this position, he straightened out his left leg. It hurt to have it curled up for too long since it had been broken--shattered, really--a few years ago. Edward shook his head, trying to block the memory of the worst day of his life, the day he had been completely abandoned. _'It's not like I can really blame them for leaving. They had no choice... I mean, no one ever plans on dying...'_

His stomach growled again, protesting its emptiness. The youngster sat up, a frown on his face as he remembered the plate of food. He was very tempted to get it, but when his eyes landed on his wallet, he decided against it. Having never been in this neighborhood before, Edward had paid close attention to the area during the ride in. He remembered a restaurant they had passed, with a sign saying they were open twenty-four hours.

He opened the billfold and his eyes fell on a picture of his younger brother. _'It's my fault he's gone... I couldn't protect him... Al, I miss you,'_ he thought as he drew a fingertip over the image. His eyes strayed to the door. He could sneak out, but what if the house had self-locking doors? As nice as the house was, he was sure the windows were well secured too. He thought back on his earlier tour of the kitchen. He knew where the bread and stuff was, so he could probably make himself a sandwich. _'But, I don't really have permission to eat anything other than that pot roast...'_ Edward thought. Previous families he had stayed with only gave him a small portion of permissible food, and if he ate more than his share, he ended up in trouble. Of course, not all families were that bad, but he had the bad habit of remembering the negative more than the positive. _'Besides, Mom always said it was wrong to steal, no matter how desperate you get...'_

Sighing, Edward slipped his feet into his shoes and tiptoed over to his door. He poked his head out and looked both ways down the hall before exiting the room completely. He made his way silently down the corridor, stopping when he reached the stairs. Steeling his resolve, he hopped down the steps, hoping he didn't wake the men who had gone to bed hours before. When he got to the front door, he studied it carefully. Once he was satisfied that he wouldn't be locked out all night, he slipped out into the cold night air and walked briskly toward the fast food store a few blocks down the street.

- - - - -

Edward was glad that the restaurant had few customers at this time of night. It meant that he could get in and out quickly, and hopefully get back to the house before anyone realized he was missing. Of course, the two men were asleep when he left, or so he assumed. Nevertheless, he was sure they weren't sleeping heavily, considering they had a stranger in their house. Looking around the place, he noticed most of the patrons seemed to be college students, some with textbooks open in front them.

"Hello, how can I help you?" A cheerful voice asked.

Edward turned and looked at the man behind the counter. He was dressed in the uniform of the establishment, and he had a large smile on his face. The blond blinked a couple times, trying to bring everything back into focus. "Uh, oh. I would like..." He scanned the menu for a few seconds before deciding on his order, a burger and a side of fries.

"So, burning the midnight oil?" The cashier asked, trying to be friendly as he punched the teen's order into the register. After pressing a few more buttons, he gave Edward his total.

Golden eyes shifted. "Huh?" Ed asked as he handed over the money to pay for his meal.

"You're up pretty late. Are you studying? No offense, but you seem a bit young to be in college. If you don't mind me asking, what grade are you in?"

Edward gaped as he put his wallet back into his pocket. What a sudden question, and it also seemed like the man was making rude commentary regarding his height. "I'm in the eleventh grade."

"Really? Wow. You look so young." The cashier smiled broadly. "You must be very smart, to be a junior at your age."

"I'm sixteen, and I take advanced courses in high school," Edward finally bit out. He was done being talkative with the nosy person behind the counter. "I could graduate at the end of the year, if I wanted..." he muttered before looking away from the overly happy person who had taken his order.

As soon as his order was complete, he grabbed the bag and dashed out of the store. He was glad as well that he had saved the allowance the orphanage had given him earlier in the week. It had been a sufficient amount to buy his midnight snack with, and there still enough change left to get himself a drink if he desired. However, the restaurant didn't have anything he wanted, so he stopped by a convenience store on his way back and bought himself a soft drink.

Sipping his drink as he strode back the Mustang's house, he considered his situation. The man who was interested in adopting him was a nice guy. So far, Edward had sensed no ill intention from the man, nor from Mr. Armstrong. The muscular man had been silent throughout most of the evening, only really speaking when spoken to. Edward wondered why this was. He had been told the house belonged to Mr. Armstrong, so why did it seem that he took his orders and cues from Mr. Mustang?

- - - - -

Roy lay on his side in bed, unable to sleep since he had laid down two hours ago. All in all, he felt the day had been a failure. Edward was cold and distant, and no matter when he did to try the boy to adjust to his new living conditions, the teen only seemed to distance himself further. It was all so very frustrating, and Roy felt the stinging of tears in the corners of his eyes. _'I didn't think it would be this hard...'_

His thoughts were disturbed by the sound of the front door opening and closing. He sat up in bed and reached over, shaking Alex's shoulder. "Wake up."

The large man only grumbled and wiggled around a bit, not heeding Roy's wakeful summons.

"I think Edward just left the house."

"Mmmm..."

The dark-haired man huffed as he looked down at his unresponsive lover. "Fine then. I'll be right back. I'm going to check on him." He slid out of bed, looking one last time at Alex before shaking his head. _'Sometimes, that man simply sleeps too deeply.'_ He walked down the hall and lightly knocked on Edward's door. After receiving no response, he tested the knob by twisting it carefully. When he discovered it was unlocked, he pushed it open and peered inside. Edward was nowhere to be found. His eyes shot to the closed door of the small bathroom, but there was no crack of light under the door, so Edward wasn't in there either. Fighting down a moment of panic, Roy studied the room more carefully. All of the teen's things were still there, so that meant he was coming back. Satisfied with his conclusion, Roy went back to his room.

"Well?" Armstrong asked sleepily.

"He's gone, but I think he'll be back." _'I wonder where he went, I hope he comes back...'_ Roy thought as he lay down once more.

He stayed awake until he heard the front door quietly open and close again, signaling the return of the young blond. He only allowed himself to doze when he heard Edward sneak back into his room.


	5. Chapter 5

_Edward walked through the door of his latest temporary home, nodding a greeting to his foster mother, Brenda Kytes. "Hey."_

_Brenda turned to look at the teen, a surprised look on her face. "Ed! What are you doing back so early? We weren't expecting you home for another few hours. Did you do something to get sent home?" she asked as the blond teen walked into the dining room. Her shoulder-length black hair bounced as she turned to look at him, her question echoed in her vivid blue eyes._

"_No. It was a half-day today because of a huge teacher meeting. They told us this morning," the thirteen-year-old answered easily. "But, I brought Al's homework, I'll go take it to him. Is he feeling better?" he glanced at the stairs, knowing his brother was laying sick in bed with a bad cold. He hadn't wanted to leave that morning, but going to school was a requirement if he wanted to stay in someone's home, and away from the orphanage. He wrinkled his nose. Going to school was a requirement even when he and his brother were at the orphanage, but at least he was able to go to the same classes with Alphonse._

"_Oh, you should just let him rest. He can do his homework when he gets up," Brenda smiled sweetly. To Ed's eyes, the smile looked fake. But then, with the foster parents he and his brother had been placed with in the past four years, the smile was always fake. "Why don't you just help me out in the kitchen, please? I haven't had a chance to do the dishes," she asked in what she hoped was her most bewitching voice._

_Ed watched her eyes dart nervously to the staircase, before she looked back and widened her saccharine grin. "Yeah, sure. I'll just put my bag in our room, then." Ed began making his way toward the staircase, his stomach churning with apprehension. The woman was obviously hiding something._

"_Oh, there's no need for that, dear. You'll only disturb your brother," Brenda quickly shuffled over to block Edward's progress. "Just put your bag on the table. He's really sick, you know. It might be contagious."_

_The blond quirked an eyebrow, not trusting the woman's façade. "No, I'd feel better if I got to check on him myself. I'll be right back down. Besides, he and I sleep in the same room. If it were contagious, I would have caught his cold already," he turned and continued to climb the stairs._

"_No!" Brenda cried, reaching out and grabbing the teen's forearm, squeezing tightly. Edward winced as her nails dug into his skin. She cleared her throat quietly. "No. He really needs his rest. Now, just come with me back into the kitchen and we can get to work." She pulled gently on the arm she had in her viselike grip._

_Edward yanked away. "What the hell?! Let go of me!" He ran up the stairs. "I'll only be a few seconds."_

_Brenda stood at the base of the stairs, clawing her face with her nails. "Shit, shit, shit," she muttered before following the teen to the boys' bedroom._

- - - - -

"_Hey, Al," Edward whispered, carefully opening the door. "I brought your homework. Your teachers said you can do it tonight and I'll take it back in the... morn... ing..." Edward's sentence trailed off slowly as his eyes fell on his foster father straddling his younger brother on the bed. Al was laying face down, and his pants and boxers were around his ankles. The older man was large, very muscular, and dwarfed Alphonse as he hovered over him, moving back and forth, rocking his body against that of the twelve-year-old's. He was holding Al's wrists behind his back, using his massive strength gained through years of hard labor to twist the younger boy's arms at an awkward angle._

_Al turned his teary gaze to his brother, silently pleading for help, unable to speak because of a sock that was shoved in his mouth. His nose was bleeding and his face was bruised. The only sounds he was able to make were the faint whimpers of pain that were able to escape the cloth-filled confines of his throat._

"_Get off of him!" Edward dropped his backpack and flung himself at the man who was currently molesting his brother._

_David Kytes ignored Edward for the most part, only replying with, "I can't... I'm so close..." as he continued to thrust into the boy. "So close..." he moaned, his voice dripping with lust._

_Edward grabbed fistfuls of the man's shirt and yanked him off the bed, throwing him to the floor. He then knelt over Al and examined him carefully, noting the blood that was pouring from Al's anus before turning back to his foster father. "What the fuck? What the fuck?!" Edward's golden eyes were alight with fury. "Is this why that stupid bitch downstairs didn't want to let me come up here? Did she know you were doing this to my brother?!" Edward kicked the man on the floor, making him curl up as he coughed. "You fucking baby-raper! Get the hell away from him!" Edward drew back his leg to kick the man again when he was tackled from behind. He felt fingers in his hair yanking his head back and putting strain on his neck._

"_You're lucky we took you in," Brenda whispered in his ear. "Two boys equal two checks, and the funds are needed now that David's construction work is slowing down for the winter season," She blew in his ear. "And... You two are very beautiful boys." She ground her nails into his scalp._

_Edward shuddered and threw the woman off his back when he felt her take his earlobe into her mouth and suck gently on it. "What the fuck?" he screamed as he staggered to his feet, turning to face his tormentor. While his attention was turned toward Brenda, David had pulled himself together, and had pulled his pants up. Grunting as he stood, David gave Edward a sharp kick in the ribs, smiling sadistically when he heard a few snaps._

_Edward groaned and rolled away from the kick as best he could, but before he could recover, David was straddling his waist. The blond turned his head to the side as he watched the man's beefy fist come crashing down toward his face._

_By this time, Al had removed the sock from his mouth and was hastily making his way toward David. "Brother!" he threw himself at the man, but not able to do much with how weak he was. His cold had drained him, and he was still tired from trying to fight the man earlier. He had defended himself valiantly until David punched him, effectively breaking his nose, causing him to gag on the warm blood that cascaded down his face and into his mouth and throat. The man has also kicked Al in the gut a few times before throwing him on the bed and stripping his bottom half._

_Brenda stood and buried her hands in Al's short, sandy hair, pulling him up so he was kneeling, his legs still folded under him. "You little bastard," she muttered as she forced his face into the floor, further breaking his nose. Al choked on the continuing flood running down his face and down his throat before spitting out a glob of thick red liquid._

_Edward crawled away as quickly as his pained body would allow, trying to at least make it to his backpack so he could get his cell phone. His fingers had only brushed the canvas when he was violently yanked away. David stood on his arm and placed all his weight on the balls of his feet. Edward screamed in pain as he felt the bones shift and crack. He struggled to get away, and this time made it to his bag. He ripped it open, fumbling around inside until his fingers found the cold plastic of the phone. He pulled it out and flipped it open, but was only able to press down the '9' before David kicked his ribs again. Grunting in pain, Edward rapidly dialed the rest of the emergency number._

'_9-1-1. What is your emergency?' he vaguely heard a soft male voice ask before the phone was knocked from his grasp and landed under the bed._

"_HELP!" he cried as David twisted his right arm behind his back. "They're - OOF! - They're beating me and my brother! We're at 567 West Stone Terrace! HELP US!" He managed to get out before David tackled him again._

"_Shut up, you stupid punk!" David stretched his arm to the side, fumbling under the bed, searching for the phone. Instead of the phone, his fingers discovered a baseball bat. He smiled as he pulled out the heavy wooden instrument, testing it weight. "You've been a very bad boy, Edward. It's time you got punished," he chanced a backward glance at his wife and the younger teen. "You and your brother both need to learn a lesson. We are the authority, and you don't go against the authority. Do you understand?" The burly man raised the bat high over his head in preparation, his back gently curved and his hands gripping the instrument tightly._

_Edward heard the whistling of the bat hurtling through the air and rolled away to dodge it, but the bat connected with his right shoulder, causing it to jump away from his body. The blond suppressed a cry as the bat smashed his elbow, and stars burst behind his eyes as waves of pain rolled over him. His arm went numb within a few seconds, leaving him barely able to defend himself. He fought to stand, but came crashing down again once he was finally upright, the bat shattered his left knee. He kicked out with his right leg, but the bat came down on his left shin, and Edward heard more bones crunch. His vision was becoming bleary and his ears were ringing. He realized vaguely that he had never been in this much pain before in his life._

"_Brother!" Alphonse cried in vain for his older sibling to come to his rescue as Brenda continued to beat on him. He had finally managed to break free of her grip when he saw the predicament Edward was in and was weakly pounding on David's back. "Lee... vah 'im 'lone!" he punctuated each strike with a sob. "He dint... do... nee-think..." he continued choking on his blood, making it hard for him to speak. He struggled for breath as he landed wimpy blows on the hard back._

_The burly man turned and backhanded the youngster with his free hand, sending him flying back into his wife's arms. "I'll deal with you before you can get your second wind," he spat, leveling a threatening glare at the twelve-year-old. "It's a good thing your brother's too crippled now to come to your rescue."_

_Edward's eyes snapped open at the sound of Al's voice and the threat that followed. He had promised their mother he would protect him, and Al needed him right now. _'I don't have time to faint right now,'_ he told himself as he attempted to get up again._

_He never made it to his feet._

_The last thing he remembered seeing before he passed out was David holding the bat high over his brother's head and bringing it down swiftly. The last sound he remembered hearing was the sharp crack and soft thud of the bat shattering Al's skull and driving bone slivers into his brain. As his vision faded to black, Edward watched helplessly as his younger sibling's body slumped to the floor._

_Alphonse Elric was dead before his body hit the ground._

- - - - -

"Al! Alphonse!" Edward screamed in his sleep, captured in the claws of his nightmare.

The screaming woke up the two other men in the house, who quickly made their way to the blond's room. Roy grabbed the doorknob and discovered it was locked when he tried to turn it. Edward must have locked it when he got back from his midnight adventure. He sighed and, tightening his grip on the knob, threw his shoulder into the door in a vain attempt to break it open. "Ow!" he let go of the metal in his hands and rubbed his shoulder.

"Let me," Armstrong gestured for his lover to move aside and repeated the other man's actions once there was enough room. He had to tackle the door a couple times before it finally succumbed to the large man's brute force and fell open.

The raven-haired man rushed into the room, his robe billowing behind him. "Edward! Edward, wake up!" Roy screamed, throwing himself over the thrashing boy. "Wake up." He recoiled as the teen's fist connected with the side of his face. "Alex, get in here!"

"Get off, you bastard! Get off! Alphonse!" Ed continued to fight, his unseeing eyes open, looking around the room for any threat. He struggled under the weight of Roy, who was still trying to pin him down. "Get off of me! Get off of Al! Stop hurting him!"

Armstrong strode purposefully into the room, taking in the scene before him. "Move, you'll only get hurt if you stay in his way."

Roy cautiously backed away from the teen, looking out for any more flying fists. When he saw one in the corner of his eye, he reached out and caught it by the wrist before it could make contact. He gripped the wrist tightly, pulling the boy into a sitting position.

When Edward struggled to free his captive wrist, Roy slapped him smartly across the face, breaking him out of his hysteria. He cringed at the thought of having to resort to such a physical gesture, but he didn't think it could be helped at the moment.

Edward looked around wildly taking in his surroundings. "Where am I? Where's Al!?" His eyes widened, shining with tears. "Oh... OH! AL!" He keened shrilly as he collapsed, burying his face in his bedding once he realized where and when he was. "Al, I'm so sorry... Alphonse..."

The dark-haired man sat on the edge of the bed, holding a hand uncertainly over the grieving boy's shoulder. Deciding to throw caution to the wind, he shifted his position and pulled the sobbing teen into his arms, hugging Edward tightly.

Edward tried to fight the embrace, but was too weak from his nightmare to struggle for long. He threw his arms around Roy's strong neck and sobbed into the older man's shoulder.

"Who's Al?" Roy asked quietly after a few minutes, rocking the boy in his arms. He was sure he knew the answer, but his brain was still too sluggish with sleep to provide him the answer.

"Al's my little brother, except he's not anymore because he's dead!" Edward choked on a sob. "He died, and I was in the hospital for two weeks! H-he's... d-d-d-dead! And I... I couldn't even get to go to his funeral!" Edward fisted his hand in Roy's robe and bawled into the older man's shoulder, too lost in his emotions to realize he was draped all over the man. "I should have died, too! I broke my promise to my mom!"

"What happened after you woke up at the hospital, Ed?" Roy asked, running his fingers through the blond's soft hair. "I knew your brother was dead, and I felt sad when I read about it in your file... But, hearing you tell me about it... My heart is breaking, Edward..."

The teen sobbed for a moment before answering, his voice shaky. "I woke up in the hospital and the doctor told me that Al was dead by the time the police got there. The doctor also told me that the Kytes' got arrested for what they did."

Roy continued to stroke the youth's hair until the boy fell asleep and raised his eyes to Armstrong, who was sitting silently at Edward's desk. "Alex..." he whispered, motioning with his head for the larger man to sit next to him.

The bald man closed the distance with a few steps, and sat down carefully on the edge of the bed. "Yes?"

"Ed's hometown is Resembool, right?"

Armstrong nodded.

"I think we all deserve a vacation. Three days ought to do it."

"A vacation?" the muscle man asked, his eyes open wide at the suddenness of the suggestion. "When?"

"Yeah, I was thinking we could go later this week. Ed's still on spring break, and will be next week, too."

Armstrong looked puzzled. "Why are we going to Resembool? Will we be allowed to take Edward out of the city?"

"We have some graves to visit," Roy answered quietly, removing the now-sleeping teen from his lap and laying him gently on the bed again. "And... I'll have to talk to Mr. Thatcher to see if I can get extra time with him to do this." He looked down at the sleeping teen. "I want to do this for him."

"Are you even sure that the other Elrics are buried in Resembool?"

The dark-haired man smiled. "Well, that's what research is for."


	6. Chapter 6

The two men walked down the hall to their own room; each lost in their own thoughts. Roy pushed open the door and stepped inside, Armstrong following close behind. As soon as the door closed behind the pair, Roy felt Alex's strong arms circle his waist, pulling him close. "Alex?" he asked when the other man pressed a heated kiss into the place where his neck and shoulder connected.

The large man didn't answer, except to slip his hands inside his lover's robe, running his hands over the responsive body.

"Alex..." Roy tried to catch the hands that were roaming over his skin. It took a few attempts, but he finally caught them. "What's the matter?" he asked, bringing one of the hands to his lips and kissing the captive fingers.

"I don't know. Seeing you... like that... it..." Armstrong trailed off as he freed his hand and grabbed Roy's chin with his fingertips. "The way you held Edward, I saw something. I want that something."

"What?"

"I don't know. Seeing it made me want you. I mean, I always want you, but... there's something burning in me. You light a fire inside me," Alex whispered before he crushed his mouth against Roy's. He freed his other hand, which wasn't hard to do since the other man had let go of it in shock, and turned the body in front of him after breaking the kiss. "Was he truly asleep when we left?" he asked once they were facing each other.

The dark-haired man pulled back slightly and studied his partner, confused by the question. "Yeah, he cried himself to sleep. He's out like a light."

"People usually sleep deeply when they do that, right?" Alex gazed into Roy's eyes.

The smaller man saw the lust radiating from the bright blue eyes and swallowed. "Uhhh..." he thought about the question Alex had just asked. "I'm not sure. I think it may depend on the person. But, Edward's young, so maybe..."

Alex tightened his hold on the smaller man. "Good," he purred before picking up Roy and settling him on the bed.

Roy looked at Alex, confusion lighting his eyes. His lover was acting strangely. He had been silent throughout dinner as well. "Are you okay?"

The bald man crawled onto the bed, hovering over Mustang. "I'll be fine..." he murmured as he attacked a bare patch of skin on Roy's chest where the now loose robe had fallen open with his lips and teeth.

"Alex..."

With his mouth attached to his lover's skin, Alex pushed Roy onto his back. With trembling hands, he fumbled with the belt that held the other man's robe closed. Once the knot was undone, the large man tore the baggy garment open, and carefully pulled each arm from its sleeve, leaving the raven-haired man clad only in his boxers.

Roy lay where he was, shocked by Armstrong's sudden amorous attentions. The man's rough kisses left him dumbfounded. He wanted to respond to his partner's sexual aggression, but Alex never gave him a chance. Every time he tried, the man would shift his focus to another part of his body. Roy knew he wouldn't complain in the end, but he wished he could be a participating party in this little fling. He could feel his groin stirring with each rough caress, and waited eagerly for whatever it was Alex would do next.

- - - - -

Roy stretched out an arm sleepily, seeking his lover's body warmth. The bed had grown cold, and the drop in temperature had worked its way into the man's mind, waking him slightly. He opened heavy eyelids and searched the room, looking for the missing presence. As his eyes traveled around the room, he noticed his robe lying on the floor. He slipped out from under the light blanket, bending as he did so to grab the forgotten garment. He winced at the movement. _'Ow. Haven't felt this way in a long time...'_ Mustang grunted as he stepped over to his dresser, pulling out some socks and underwear. These he tossed on his bed before pulling open his closet. Reaching inside, he grabbed a pair of blue jeans and a slate tee shirt.

The events of earlier that morning flashed through his mind. As the images wandered through his head, his stomach felt like it flipped. Not in a bad way, but in an almost excited way. Alex was so large, and so strong, that he was afraid of touching people for fear of breaking them. Roy pushed his arms into the sleeves of his robe as he contemplated his lover's actions. What had caused the man to react the way he had? _'Where is Alex, anyway?'_ The raven-haired man looked around, his mind considering the places his lover may have disappeared to. _'Hmmm... That's got to be it... I know where he is.'_ Roy left his room and padded down the hall to Alex's room.

He knocked softly before pushing open the door. Alex was curled up under his blanket, his arms holding his pillow tightly.

"Alex..." Roy whispered, sitting carefully on the edge of the bed. "Wake up."

"Nnnn... Wha...?" the bald man slurred, his voice thick with sleep.

The raven-haired man poked his partner playfully in the ribs. "Get up."

Alex turned over, trying to get away from the disturbance that was interrupting his slumber.

"Mine, mine, mine..."

Alex raised his head once he recognized Roy's voice, turning in his bed to stare blearily the man who had snuck into his room. He stared at the other man curiously. "What?"

"Mine, mine, mine..." the dark-haired man repeated.

"I heard you the first time. What do you mean by it, though?" the large man asked, genuinely confused. The conversation was serving to wake him up.

Roy strode over to the desk and leaned against it, crossing his legs at his ankles. He turned his gaze on his partner. "That's what I should ask you. You're not usually so forceful, what's wrong?"

Lines formed in Alex's brow as he scrunched up his eyes in thought, trying to remember an instance when he had uttered those words.

Mustang stayed silent, watching his lover concentrate. The memory of last night was hazy, the clearest memory he had was of Edward sneaking out and the teen's nightmare. The teen had lesser nightmares throughout the remainder of the night, but they were nothing like the nightmare he had that woke up the household. However, some things from that night stuck with him. He crossed his arms his chest, quietly waiting for Armstrong's response.

This was the first chance he'd had to really talk to Alex, and he was going to take advantage of this opportunity before he finalized the adoption of Edward. After a few more seconds of watching Alex try to recall the phrase, he cleared his throat.

"Mine, mine, mine..." Alex murmured, staring the grain of the wood his desk was made of between the various papers that were strewn across the top of it. Merely saying it brought to mind a night when he had been consumed by lust and jealousy. He lifted his head, barely able to meet Roy's eyes. His heart started pounding in his chest at the memory, now that it had surfaced. "Roy, I... don't know. I lost control. I'm sorry if I hurt you." The memory of slamming his body against Roy's, of being so lost in a haze of emotion, made him feel like his heart had lodged itself in his throat. He swallowed, trying to force his throat to open enough to speak.

He wouldn't blame Roy if he was upset over that night, and would accept any punishment his lover deemed necessary. "I'm sorry. I... I raped you, essentially..." he finally choked out. "I'm sorry, Roy." He didn't realize he had said anything out loud last night. His only thought then had been how badly he needed Roy then. The desire had overwhelmed him after he saw Roy cradling Edward after the teen had woken up screaming from a nightmare. He thought that it was just the roar of blood in his ears, but apparently he was so lost inside himself that he had spoken the words out loud.

Roy lifted an eyebrow, and uncrossed his arms as he pushed himself off the edge of the desk. Once he was upright, he began pacing. "No. It wasn't rape. It was surprise sex. It's fine. There's no need to apologize. I didn't mind your actions as much as you might think. Remember what I just told you. I love you, Alex. I really do." He sighed. "I mean, I am a little sore, but it's only because we haven't had rough sex in a long while."

"Make light of it all you want, I still did something terrible..." Alex followed the other man with his eyes, mulling over what he was going to say next. He knew Roy only paced when he was nervous or upset, but it seemed the man was agitated by something other than what Alex thought he should be. He opened his mouth to speak more, when Roy cut him off.

"What I do want to talk about is how you really feel about me adopting Edward. I'm still going to adopt him."

Alex closed his mouth and folded his hands over his stomach. "I know. I can tell that you've already fallen in love with him," he said quietly.

The raven-haired man stopped in his tracks, stunned by the words his lover had just spoken. "What? In love? No... Edward's much too young, I'm not like that at all..." he sputtered, blinking his eyes as if it would clear his thoughts. "Wait a minute... Are you... are you jealous?"

"I... Possibly," the bald man answered, feeling uneasy.

Roy had expected this answer, but he never intended on making Alex feel guilty, which he obviously was, if the expression on his face was anything to judge by. "Why? You have nothing to worry about. I'm devoted to you." He wished he could take back this conversation, but it had already started. Instead of pacing again, he moved to sit on Alex's bed. He sat there silently, trying to think of a way to elaborate, and clarify, what he had just said.

The large man turned to gaze at Roy. "Well..." he started after a moment's silence.

"You know that, right?" Roy interrupted, his voice cracking ever so slightly. He cleared his throat and continued. "You know I love you very much, don't you?"

"Yeah. I know." Armstrong sat up, the blankets pooling around his waist. He placed an arm around Mustang's shoulders. "I love you, too, Roy. However, when I see him, this feeling builds in my chest, and I don't like it. I know you're not going to leave me for someone so young, no matter how attractive he is..." he sighed, pulling Roy close.

"Huh? What do you mean?" the smaller man asked, leaning over and resting his head on his lover's shoulder.

The muscle man took a deep breath, his chest puffing out. He gathered his thoughts before slowly pushing the air out of his mouth. "When I say that, what I mean is..." He closed his eyes. "Well, there's something about him that reminds you of something... or someone..." Opening his eyes, he turned and gazed deeply into Roy's obsidian stare. _'Of me...' _He willed the other man to understand. When Roy had first rescued him from his boyfriend in college, Alex had followed the man around like a lost puppy. Over time, however, having gotten to know his savior, Alex fell in love.

"You're not going to leave me, are you?" Mustang asked, suddenly panicked.

Alex did a double take. "No. I love you. And, I know you're doing something you feel is right. Did I... hurt you that night?"

Roy shook his head, a faint smile on his lips. "Like I said, I'm not as upset over as you think I should be." He placed a light kiss on the corner of Alex's mouth. "Come on. Get dressed and come downstairs. I'll get Ed up and make us all some breakfast."


	7. Chapter 7

Edward leaned his head on the headrest of his seat in the rear of the luxury car as he stared disinterestedly through his window at the passing scenery as the vehicle sped down the highway. It was the middle of the afternoon, and he, Roy, and Alex had been in the car for the past three hours, and between little naps and short stops, he had already read the few short, mindless novels he had brought with him. Knowing that there were at least four more hours to go until they reached the outskirts of Resembool, including rest stops and meals, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and proceeded to play tic-tac-toe with the computer. After about thirty minutes of trading wins and losses with the cell phone's AI, the teen became aware of Roy announcing that they were pulling over so that the trio could stretch their legs.

It had been about an hour and a half since the last stop, so the blond tumbled gratefully out of the car, glad for the break as his left thigh had begun to cramp from his being sedentary for so long. Wrapping his hands around his phone, he reached above his head, pulling the tightness from his shoulders. Still in this position, he then stretched his legs by standing on tiptoe. Ed swayed side to side, remembering the exercises from when he was still in physical therapy after his arm and a heavy wooden baseball bat had shattered leg. Sighing at the awful memory, he let his arms drop to his sides and looked over at the two men, who were busy studying a map, obviously calculating the most efficient route to their ultimate destination. He had been surprised by their sudden desire to take him to Resembool, but it also made him happy. No one else had cared enough to try to learn about him and his past. However, he still couldn't bring himself to trust their good intentions completely, and his instinct told him that the two men were trying too hard to be too nice. An example of which was that neither man had brought up the embarrassing events of the previous night.

It felt good to grieve for his brother's brutal and needless death. He had cried before, over Al's death, and he felt that his nightmares would replay that day for the rest of his life. But he had never been held through it, had never shared his sorrow. Nobody had thought to console him as he wept since he was male, and therefore an unfeeling, unemotional creature. Yet, nice as it had felt, his mind wandered back to his strong distrust toward most adults, including Roy and Alex. Of course he wouldn't trust men he had known for less than a week, they were technically still strangers, though he was living with them for a few days. The teen snorted at the thought. Ed was shocked when he learned that the orphanage had granted Mustang the permission to take him to Resembool, although he was a known risk running away. Mustang had spent the morning on phone making the arrangements for the trip.

Looking away from the men huddled over the large piece of paper that was spread over the hood of the car, Edward let his eyes roam over the surrounding countryside. He could smell the cows and horses, mixed with the scent of wheat and cotton, on the breeze. By the smell of the livestock, which the teen was sure no one in Central would recognize, Ed knew they were outside of anything resembling a metropolis, and the young blond found himself missing a childhood spent with his mother and younger brother.

Glancing at the date and time on the face of his cell phone, which he had not yet returned to his pocket, he remembered that it was the time of year for the annual Resembool Rodeo Days. Sheep and wool were the major industry in the town of Resembool, but that didn't stop people from showing off their various farm animals, ranging from placid cows to hyper turkeys. Smiling to himself at the memory, he began to feel glad that his prospective guardian had chosen to visit his hometown, even if it were for such a heartbreaking task as visiting the graves of his deceased family. He hoped he might be able to visit the rodeo while there, if only to ease his nostalgia, and maybe to snag a bag of kettle corn, some funnel cake, or a cloud of sticky, sweet cotton candy. He needed to buy gifts for his family, anyway, so maybe he would try to win some prizes at the carnival that was a part of the rodeo.

He was still imagining the large, fluffy teddy bear he would place on his mother's grave, and the cute stuffed cat that he would win in his brother's memory when he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. He looked up into Alex's bright blue eyes. "Yes?"

"We're ready to go, if you are," the large man spoke softly. "We still have time to turn back, if you feel doing this might be too painful for you."

Edward swallowed as he lowered his eyes. "I want to go." He shook his head. "No, I need to go. I haven't been there since they buried Mom."

Alex nodded and turned back toward the car. "All right then. Let's be off. We still have a long way to go."

As the young blond slithered into his seat, he mulled over whether or not to ask Roy if they could stop off at the fairgrounds for a few hours. He usually never asked his foster parents for anything, as the answer had almost always been no the few times he had asked favors in the past. However, somehow, he felt that this time, the answer might be yes, considering how nice the older pair had been so far. "Roy..." he squeaked out, before clearing his throat and start again. "Roy?"

The dark-haired man turned in his seat at the sound of his name. "Yes, Edward?" He asked gently.

"I-I... I was wondering... While we're there..." he stammered, his hands fidgeting in his lap. He was losing his momentary courage under the steady gaze of Roy Mustang.

"Yes? Go on."

Ed swallowed. "Well, there's a rodeo going on right now... In... In Resembool... And, I..." He worked his jaw a few seconds before continuing.

By this time, Alex had slid into his seat and was buckling up. "A rodeo? Sounds like fun."

"Yeah! It is fun! There's sheep shearing contests and bull riding and all kinds of stuff at the fair!" Ed spoke excitedly before checking his enthusiasm. "I mean, it is. There's a lot of stuff going on... And... I was wondering if we could go there tomorrow..." The last part of his speech was spoken at a whisper.

Roy nodded. "We do have a couple days available to us." He nodded again, more sure this time. "I think that's a great idea, Edward. Let's go."


End file.
